Improvement in clothes-lines



UNIT-ED STATES PATENT I). C. JOHNSON, OF CENTRAL CITY, COLORADO TERRITORY, ASSIGNOR TO MARY JOHNSON, OF SAME PLACE.

IM PROVEM ENT IN CLOTH ES`LINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 97,409, dated November 30, 1859.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, P. C. JOHNSON, of Central City, in the county of Gilpin and Territory of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Clothes-Lines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification.

The drawing represents a side view of my improved clothes-line.

This invention has for its object to do away with the props or sticks commonly used to support clothes-lines at or near the middle, to prevent them from hanging too low. Such props or sticks are liable to be broken or blown down, and are, consequently, unreliable and unsafe.

My invention consists in the use of an endless line, hung over two pulleys, and of one or more carriages connecting its two parallel lengths to sustain the lower one, which supports the clothes.

A, in the drawing, represents the endless clothes-line, fitted over two equal-sized pulleys, a b, which are hung in the posts B and C, that support the line. The post B is the one at which the clothes are to be secured to or removed from the line, and is or may be lower than the other post, C. On the lower length, c, of the line is formed a knot, cl, which cannot pass through either one of the pulleys. Between the knot d and the pulley a, on the post B, is fitted, upon both lengths of the line, a car riage, D, which consists of two or more rollers, c, connected by side plates f, and traveling, respectively, on the upper side of the upper length and on the under side of the lower length of line. This carriage can travel on the line, but cannot pass the knot d.

The clothes are hung in the following manner: The carriage D is irst drawn against the pulley a, and the knot cl against the carriage. The clothes are thenh ungupon the lower length c, between the knot and carriage, the knot being gradually moved toward the post C, while the carriageis held against the pulley a. Vhen the line is about half-full-that is lo say, when the knot is about in the middle of the linethe carriage is also moved alongwith the lower length toward the post C, and clothes are hung upon the line between the carriage and the post B until the knob d strikes the pulley l), as in the drawing.

The lower length of the line is now entirely filled, and the carriage is in the middle supporting the weighted line on the stretched up per length, and preventing thereby also the sagging of the lower length.

lf desired, two or more such carriages may be used on one line to support the same at dit'- ferent places.

The advantages of this arrangement are that the supporting-posts are dispensed with; that the clothes can all be applied and removed by a person standing at the post B, and that consequently the clothes need not be carried along the entire length of line.

Another advantage is that the line can be elevated to a great height, and that the clothes can therefore be more freely exposed to the air and more rapidly dried. The knot d may, if desired, be dispensed with.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The double pulley or carriage D, with its i pulleys c c, in combination with the knot d, cord A, posts B and C, and pivoted holders h, with their pulleys a a., as shown and described. The above specification of my invention signed by me this 6th day of October, 1869.

i l. C. JOHNSON. Witnesses:

S.. P. KENDALL, L. W. GHAsE.

FFICE. 

